Can astronomy classes be made accessible to students who are visually impaired?

Visually impaired students often find the study of astronomy difficult because so much of the content is presented visually. One method of providing access to astronomy information is to create raised line drawings or other tactile graphics of images such as star charts and planetary maps. Another is to create three-dimensional models to represent objects such as planet spheres.

Online resources, including those described below, are available to help instructors and support staff make the study of astronomy more accessible to students with visual impairments.

Adapted Curriculum Enhancement (ACE), a joint program of NASA and the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, has developed learning modules specifically for students who are blind. Educators can download instructions and materials to support classroom lessons.

The Tactile Graphics Assistant (TGA) is a program created at the University of Washington to aid in the tactile image translation process. The TGA separates text from an image so that the text can later be replaced by Braille and inserted back onto the image. You can view an example of a final product of accessible images for people who are visually impaired in the text An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics.

Accessible versions of astronomy text-based materials may also be available from Bookshare.org.